flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 815 flight time type : 730

ASRS Report

586254

Person 2

Affiliation

government : military

Function

flight crew : captain oversight : pic

Events

Anomaly

non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation

Independent Detector

other controllera other flight crewa

Resolutory Action

controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance other

Supplementary

Problem Areas

ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance

Primary Problem

Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

As I was inbound on the ILS runway 22 approach into nqa, tower told me to advise when I was 4 mi out. At 4 mi out, I had already broken out of the clouds and had the airport in sight. I advised tower that I was 4 mi out. He told me that my traffic was a C-130 turning left downwind doing touch and goes and a beech jet on short final. He then told me to 'circle to the east, expect runway 4.' I was unsure of what he meant by this, but figured that he wanted me to do a left circle for sequencing behind the planes. In the middle of my second circle, tower came back and told me that my traffic was a C-130 on 2 1/2 mi final for runway 4. I replied that I would look for traffic. Then tower asked me what my position was. I told him that I was 3 mi north of the field, circling and asked him if he wanted me to enter a left downwind for runway 4. He told me that he wanted me on a right downwind that's why he told me to circle. I then entered a right downward for runway 4 and landed with no problems. I think this could have been avoided if I had asked him what he meant by 'circle to the east' originally, or if he had been more specific and told me to 'circle to land runway 4.'

Narrative: AS I WAS INBOUND ON THE ILS RWY 22 APCH INTO NQA, TWR TOLD ME TO ADVISE WHEN I WAS 4 MI OUT. AT 4 MI OUT, I HAD ALREADY BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS 4 MI OUT. HE TOLD ME THAT MY TFC WAS A C-130 TURNING L DOWNWIND DOING TOUCH AND GOES AND A BEECH JET ON SHORT FINAL. HE THEN TOLD ME TO 'CIRCLE TO THE E, EXPECT RWY 4.' I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT HE MEANT BY THIS, BUT FIGURED THAT HE WANTED ME TO DO A L CIRCLE FOR SEQUENCING BEHIND THE PLANES. IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SECOND CIRCLE, TWR CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT MY TFC WAS A C-130 ON 2 1/2 MI FINAL FOR RWY 4. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR TFC. THEN TWR ASKED ME WHAT MY POS WAS. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS 3 MI N OF THE FIELD, CIRCLING AND ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED ME TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED ME ON A R DOWNWIND THAT'S WHY HE TOLD ME TO CIRCLE. I THEN ENTERED A R DOWNWARD FOR RWY 4 AND LANDED WITH NO PROBS. I THINK THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD ASKED HIM WHAT HE MEANT BY 'CIRCLE TO THE E' ORIGINALLY, OR IF HE HAD BEEN MORE SPECIFIC AND TOLD ME TO 'CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 4.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.